Vampire: The Masquerade - Where Saints Dwell

[White Wolf]

Welcome to New Orleans,
Where Saints Dwell.

I'm looking to run a V20 campaign for a coterie of around 4-5 players. The game will be set in New Orleans and the wider Louisiana, though I'll be homebrewing the setting and important NPCs entirely from scratch beyond that.

New Orleans remains a firm Camarilla stronghold, though in recent years the Sabbat have laid claim to Baton Rouge and Lafayette, forcing the fealty - by violence or coercion - of the outlying parishes and slowly squeezing in closer to the Prince of New Orleans' official borders. Neither side wishes to court open warfare, the Camarilla of New Orleans because they are now cut off with their backs to the sea, and the Sabbat because they face Anarch uprisings on their northern flank, centered in Alexandria and Shreveport.

Even so, with the onset of the Sabbat, gang violence has swept the state, police killings are up and an economic downturn is looming, as the state nears its second quarter of negative growth following a capital flight to neighbouring Texas in response to the groundswell of violence. Tensions in the sweltering New Orleans night run high, though for the neonates already chafing under the rule of the Elders, the sudden disturbance comes as an opportunity.

The Elders have never been so on edge, the tension in the night has never been quite so electric. The Primogens have turned to their own domains, clamping down on the libertine Midnight Aristocracy of New Orleans as they batten down the hatches, bracing for yet more shockwaves to come. The Prince, ever aloof in her far away Ivory Tower, seems to have withdrawn from New Orleans politics entirely. Neonates, barely having walked in darkness a full 30 years, have never experienced the night quite like this.

The players will already know each other, having coalesced into a coterie of their own accord around 5-7 years ago, shortly after each of them got out from underneath the wings of their sires. While character creation remains completely open - you're free to play just about any Clan, and Merits and Flaws are of course very, very much encouraged to flesh out your characters - the coterie will make use of the rules for Pooled Backgrounds (p. 118 of the V20 rulebook), and I'll be setting up a community character creation thread for players to introduce each other and work out the dynamics of their relationships and resources, etc.

All of the original clans are available to play as, though with the obvious considerations about the clans' wider loyalties and place within Kindred society. Though the major Bloodlines are not playable (the likes of the Baali, Daughters of Cacophony, Salubri, etc.) all clan antritribu bloodlines are available - though a player who picks one must reflect their defection from the Sabbat by taking an appropriate Merit or Flaw (for instance, Probationary Sect Member).

The only major limitation on character creation is a 6-dot cap on Willpower, and a 3-dot cap on Generation at the time of character creation. Willpower can of course be upgraded in the normal manner once the game starts, and Generation...well. The less said, the better

Anyone who's interested, please drop me a PM, even just to highlight your interest and let me know you wanna' play - though if your first PM comes with a character idea already prepared, even better!

As Prince LaCroix would say; "Thank you. And good evening."

[Love And Submission]

When does the game take place? VTM  20 was set in the 90s I think. So are we still in the 90s or is this modern times?

[White Wolf]

When does the game take place? VTM  20 was set in the 90s I think. So are we still in the 90s or is this modern times?

The 20th Anniversary rulebook makes a lot of references to smartphones and social media; I've always assumed it intended the game to be set in present day - this game will begin in April of this year :)

[White Wolf]

Updated - Adding the following to the original post:

"The coterie will make use of the rules for Pooled Backgrounds (p. 118 of the V20 rulebook), and I'll be setting up a community character creation thread for players to introduce each other and work out the dynamics of their relationships and resources, etc."

[White Wolf]

Last update of the day! - Added clan/bloodline rules to the original post:

"All of the original clans are available to play as, though with the obvious considerations about the clans' wider loyalties and place within Kindred society. Though the major Bloodlines are not playable (the likes of the Baali, Daughters of Cacophony, Salubri, etc.) all clan antritribu bloodlines are available - though a player who picks one must reflect their defection from the Sabbat by taking an appropriate Merit or Flaw (for instance, Probationary Sect Member)."

[Pumpkin Seeds]

Oh count me as interested.

[White Wolf]

Oh count me as interested.

Hooray!

Drop me a PM with your ideas for a character when you're able :)

[White Wolf]

UPDATED - Added a guideline for Character Creation, reading as follows:

The only major limitation on character creation is a 6-dot cap on Willpower, and a 3-dot cap on Generation. Willpower can of course be upgraded in the normal manner once the game starts, and Generation...well. The less said, the better

[Miroque]

really really intrested.

[Pumpkin Seeds]

Sorry.   Taking awhile to get my computer back up and running.

[Ironwolf85]

been playing Vamp lately with friends, so i'm interisted. Acutally have a camarella alined Tzemeze doctor. Formerly a heart sugeon and plastic surgeon.

[Miroque]

I was thinking an Tremere "foreign student" that was send to America, to learn about Voodoo and American cult practices. And now, being there few years (as everyone knows everyone else) she has formed contacts and friends in the night. (and being uber supriced about the anarch movement, and open sabbat revolts in the country)

[Pumpkin Seeds]

Sort of want to play that old money type in New Orleans.

[Muse]

  I have an extraordinary love/hate relationship with Vampire, but I simply adore how it brings out Laddies with dice. 

  Have you hit the applicant quota yet?  :) 

  I have all manner of half formed concepts I'd enjoy bringing to the table.  Perhaps a Toreador of some sort? 

  Considering that this is an Elliquiy game, White, do you intend to stick to cannon on vampire sexuality?  How they can no longer really enjoy the passions of the living?  The only pleasure that intense remaining to them is the pleasure of feeding? 

[Waldham]

Can you give a date (the beginning of your story) for your campaign ?

[Love And Submission]

Name:		Norberto Guzmán		Player:		Love And Submission
Clan:		Gangrel		Chronicle:		Where Saints Dwell
Nature:		Survivor		Haven:		? ? ?
Demeanor:		Rogue		Concept:		Urban Gangrel
Generation:		13th		EXP Spent:		15

Physical				Social				Mental
Strength:		●●●●●		Charisma:		●●○○○		Perception:	●●●●○
Dexterity		●●●●●		Manipulation:		●●○○○		Intelligence:	●○○○○
Stamina:		●●○○○		Appearance:		●●○○○		Wits:	●●●○○

Talents				Skills				Knowledges
Alertness:		○○○○○		Animal Ken:		●●○○○		Academics:	○○○○○
Athletics:		○○○○○		Crafts:		○○○○○		Computer:	●○○○○
Awareness:		○○○○○		Drive:		●○○○○		Finance:	○○○○○
Brawl:		●●●○○		Etiquette:		○○○○○		Investigation:	●●○○○
Empathy:		○○○○○		Firearms:		●○○○○		Law:	●●○○○
Expression:		○○○○○		Larceny:		●●●○○		Medicine:	○○○○○
Intimidation:		●●●○○		Melee:		●●●○○		Occult:	○○○○○
Leadership:		○○○○○		Performance:		○○○○○		Politics:	○○○○○
Streetwise:		●●●○○		Stealth:		●●●○○		Science:	○○○○○
Subterfuge:		○○○○○		Survival:		○○○○○		Technology:	○○○○○

Backgrounds				Disciplines				Virtues
? ? ?:		○○○○○		Animalism:		○○○○○		Conscience:	●●○○○
? ? ?:		○○○○○		Fortitude:		●●○○○		Self-Control:	●●●●●
? ? ?:		○○○○○		Protean:		●●○○○		Courage:	●●○○○

Humanity: ●●●●●● ○○○○

Willpower: ●●●●    ○○○○○○

Blood Pool:

? ? ?

Health:

Merits & Flaws

Merits
-

Rival Sires - Not one, but two vampires wanted to gift you with the Embrace. One succeeded, one failed — and she's not happy about that failure. Either you, your actual sire or both of you have become the target of the failed suitor's ire. Regardless, your persecutor is at + 2 difficulty to refrain from frenzy in your presence. In addition, she may well be working actively to discredit or destroy you.

Character Personality: The only thing Norberto likes more than spending money is making money. Or taking money to be specific.. He's a  vicious narcissist whose violently obsessed with gaining power and  reputation. At least on the outside. His Machiavellian personality is just a  front to deal with the horrors of growing up  destitute on the streets of New Orleans.

Character History: Norberto Guzmán grew up in poverty on the streets of New Orleans. Humble beginnings didn't stop him from growing into one of the city's most feared organized criminals though. It was this underworld notoriety that got him on the city's kindred radar.  He wasn't embraced by a city kindred however. Becky Henderson, a  Gangrel  found him on a  visit to the  city and found herself impressed by his predatory behavior. Believing that the future of the clan was in the city, she embraced him before returning to the swamp she calls home.

[Jefepato]

  Considering that this is an Elliquiy game, White, do you intend to stick to cannon on vampire sexuality?  How they can no longer really enjoy the passions of the living?  The only pleasure that intense remaining to them is the pleasure of feeding?

Didn't V20 change this?  (See page 9.)  Vampires don't enjoy sex as much as they enjoy feeding, but they actually can enjoy sex to some extent.

I had a vague idea for a character (I was thinking a Lasombra antitribu who tries a little too hard to get her peers to like her, and might need a few lessons in ruthlessness), but it looks like you've already got at least 4-5 people interested.

[White Wolf]

I'll be taking this game to the next step over the weekend, so stand by for Personal Messages from me to let you know what the story is!

For all intents and purposes recruitment is now CLOSED. If you've only just seen this, or if there are now too many people in the coterie for you to join, this thread will open back up if other players drop out over the course of the game.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding! You'll be hearing from me soon!